TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7069, 10 April 1901, Page 3

TRADES AND LABOUR CONFERENCE.

* TO-DAY'S SITTING. [Per Press Association.] J>U>7EDI\-, April 10. At the Trades and Labour Conference ths mcrning, Mr Young moved ihat ihe standing orders should be suspended for the purpose of re-committing the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, with a view of inserting the following amendment: — That all Government employees should be brought under the provisions of the Arbitration Act. This was earned, with two dissentients. It was further resolved that rating ort unimproved values should bs made mandatory, and also to apply to all rates; that the Government should be urged to -amend the Workmen's Wages Act to grant Unions the power to sue on behalf of ten members ; that the Old Age Pensions Act should be amended in tha.fc in cases where persons are performing underground work for a. period of ten years the age limit should be reduced to sixty years ; that the system of considering board *-md residence as income should be abolished, and that the amount of pension should be increased to ten shillings a week (carried, with two dissentients) ; that the Conference reaffirms the principles of old age pensions tieing made universal (carried by eight votes to three) ; that the Representation Act- should be amended in the direction of the abolition of a rural quota of 28? per cent in suburban districts (carried by six votes to two). The other resolutions carried up to the luncheon adjournment, were : — That the Government should be requested to re-intro-duce the Bill limiting the rate of interest on money ; that the Government should be urged to introduce the referendum with the initiative in the hands of the people ; that' the. Government should be urged to introduce a Bill providing for a referendum of the people on the question of the abolition of the Upper House. A proposal that the Government should be requested to introduce a Minimum' Wage Bill, with a minimum of ten shillings a day for ma-.e workers, was negatived by five votes to four, three delegates not voting.